Daughter's Lament
by January Lily
Summary: Briony is the middle Everdeen daughter. She isn't as brave like Katniss. She isn't as kind and compassionate as Prim. She just is. But her life is thrown into a tailspin when she is forced to flee her home after her sister's disastrous actions in the Quarter Quell.
1. Chapter 1

I sat there in front of the screen blinking rapidly and breathing slowly at the black screen. _Katniss, what the hell did you just do?_ I wondered. I wasn't sure what was worse: watching my sister on the screen competing for the second time in the Hunger Games and fearing for her death _or_ not being able to see a single thing because of an empty screen. I knew that she was hiding something from us when she came back—well, something other than the horror of the games. Everyone knew the Hunger Games changed a person. Even before my sister, District Twelve's own Haymitch Abernathy had shown us that. But Katniss always seemed to be hiding things from us. I knew it was her way of trying to protect us, but still, we are family and family is supposed to tell each other things. A family is supposed to be your support system and she wouldn't let us be that for her.

Things had gotten worse after my sister's meeting with President Snow. I found it strange that he had decided to pay us a visit, but I wasn't sure what had been discussed. All I knew was that she became more paranoid and secretive after meeting with him, something I hadn't thought possible. I could only conclude that President Snow had something on Katniss. I wasn't sure exactly what he had over her head, but I was intuitive enough to know that something was amiss. Something wasn't quite right. And even with all the intuitive leaps, I could possibly muster, I never could quite figure out what was going on with Katniss.

When it was announced that Katniss was going back into the Hunger Games for a second time, my heart broke and watching her for the second time around in those blasted games being broadcasted for all of Panem to see was pure torture. Yet there was a very thin silver lining: Katniss wasn't going to go down without a fight. While I was only eighteen months younger than my sister, I knew that she was the only one of us Everdeen sisters that could win the games. I seemed painfully dull and ordinary compared to my sisters. Maybe it was just the middle child thing—but Katniss had her bravery and Prim her empathy and medical skills. The only thing I could do was spin a decent story, but what good was that to me in District Twelve where people were struggling to stay alive? Sometimes I felt like I was a disappointment to the Everdeen name, to everything my father had built to accomplish in his short time on this earth. I didn't like feeling so inept.

I glanced over at my mother. She sat there with her lips pursed, worry clearly written over her face. She was still staring at the blank screen hoping that something would flicker back on. Prim sat beside her, holding onto her arm. We just sat there.

When I would later try to recall what happened, my memory drew blanks from the disruption of the broadcast until the time Gale Hawthorne rushed into our house in a state of panic. Gale looked so strong and serious as he frantically began to explain how the Peacemakers pulled out from the area. My brow furrowed and my gaze puzzled. He must have understood my confusion because he explained that District Twelve was going to be burned to the ground—just as the Capital had done to District Thirteen all those years ago. Because of Katniss' show, we were to be the sacrifice to atone for her sins-to be made a spectacle of for the other districts. To show them what would happen if they continued in their rebellious ways.

I froze in place, unable to bring myself to move as Prim quickly rushed to my mother's side, to keep my poor mother from falling over as she processed Gale's words. My hand tried to find anything to grab hold of to brace myself with the blow from this knowledge. We all knew why this was happening, although none of us voiced the reason: Katniss. Gale didn't make eye contact with me. I think sometimes, my appearance reminded him too much of Katniss. I knew that he had feelings for my older sister for a long time now, but Katniss never reciprocated them. Even then, the fact that Katniss was _engaged_ to another Hunger Games victor: Peeta Melark, hasn't entirely deterred Gale. Although, competition was somewhat fierce because Peta had also fancied my sister for some time-he even admitted his feelings for her on live television during his and Katniss' first Hunger Games.

It seemed like everyone fancied my sister. Hell, who wouldn't have feelings for Katniss? I wasn't exactly sure what the nature of Gale's and my sister's relationship these days; but I knew better than to ever think of Gale in a way that would further complicate the situation. I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't do that—I didn't want to make things awkward for my sister…or myself for that matter.

I slowly blinked as I watched my mother move to gather a few items, but Gale's hand flew out to stop her. He said that there wasn't time to grab anything. He told us that we had to get out of District Twelve. He said that we'd already wasted too much time and we needed to run. We had to get past the electric fence and run like hell. Prim grabbed my hand which seemed to unfreeze me. Hand in hand we ran from the house and toward the fence. We ran toward the forest I had been on the outskirts of many times. It was the place I went to write and think—but I had never told a single soul. If anyone knew where I had gone—well, I could've gotten in serious trouble; but that all seemed irrelevant now. The Capital was trying to kill us anyway and it wasn't because some silly girl slipped through a fence. Although, I suppose, some could muse that it was.

Prim and I easily slipped through the fence, so we both turned around to help our mother get through. She kept turning back to look, almost like Lot's wife from the story about Sodom and Gomorrah, only she didn't turn into a pillar of salt. It was obvious that my mother had strong objections of leaving the only place she had ever called home—of leaving my deceased father and the only place Katniss would know to look for us _if_ she somehow made it out alive. Along with that, there were doubts floating about if we'd be able to survive in the forest—but it was a chance we had to take. This was our only option for survival.

Once we all were safely past the fence, I could hear Gale shouting directions to those running and fleeing District Twelve. I had no idea where we were going—but I could sense the urgency surging through us. Overhead a low rumbling could be heard—my heart began to thud.

I looked up—which was a mistake because it distracted me from running around obstacles of the forest. I tripped over a fallen tree branch and fell onto the hard ground. I heard something snap—at first I thought it must be the tree branch until I felt the pain shooting up my leg.

I screamed which caused Prim to stop and turn back toward me. She started running in my direction when out of nowhere Gale appeared and pushed her toward the rest of the people running. Prim tried to stop him by screaming my name—but with one look at me on the ground, he told her that there was nothing she could do to help me. For a moment I began to panic. Was he going to leave me? Was I to be a casualty of the firebombing too? I thought he was going to be as he turned his head and watched those fleeing further into the woods—but he was just waiting for Prim to run toward my mother.

Gale ran toward me and knelt on the forest floor beside me. I held my ankle in my hands—putting pressure on it as I looked up to his steel eyes. "I—I think it's broken," I said through gritted teeth, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. "What are we gonna do? I can't walk. There's no way I can keep going."

Gale took one look at it before he looked up at the pain in my eyes. Without saying anything he swooped me up in his strong arms and told me to hold on. Everything seemed to be happening so fast as I wrapped my arms around his neck and hung on tightly. I could feel his arms holding me tightly and despite the dire situation, I found myself feeling somewhat safe in his strong arms. Maybe I was just euphoric from the adrenaline running through me—but for a moment, despite how terrible things were, I found myself enjoying this.

But soon, the pain began to grow to the point that I couldn't handle it. I rested my head against the crook of Gale's neck as he continued to carry me through the forest. I felt pathetic. I just wanted to give up and let sleep take over. Gale must have noticed what I was doing because he began to talk to me. Really talk to me—probably more than we've ever actually talked to each other intentionally.

"Bri—Briony," Gale whispered for only me to hear. I tried to focus my eyes on him, but I could feel my eyelids getting heavier by the second. I didn't say anything at first, so he repeated my name and our eyes met for a brief moment before I looked away with my face aflame. He repeated my name a third time.

"What?" I asked him drowsily. The expression on his face was hard to read. I was pretty sure that it was concern on his face, but Gale Hawthorne wasn't the easiest person to read. Years of trying to take care of his family and then being forced to work in the mines had calloused him.

"Stay with me." His tone was even despite the hint of sounding out of breathing because he was running through the forest carrying more weight than necessary—my dead weight. I tried to focus on his words, but I was just so tired and I told him so. He mulled things over for the briefest moment before telling me an outright lie to win me over. "We're almost there."

"You're a terrible liar," I called him out on it. Something I don't think I've ever really done before. I don't know why I chose now of all times to do it. I mean, he was being kind enough to lug me through the forest when he could have easily left me there to die with the others. He urged me to stay awake. For a moment I tried to focus on his face and staying awake. I tried to say something, anything to him—but the only word that managed to barely escape my lips was his name. "Gale."

He must have realized how much I was struggling to stay awake on my own, so he tried to help me out. "Tell me a story—what've you been writing about?"

"How do you know about that?" Hardly anyone knew about that and I had most certainly never mentioned anything about writing to Gale. Our conversations normally consisted of few words and head nods.

But then he continued to surprise me. "I've known you for years. We're not exactly strangers."

"But we're not exactly friends."

"I know things about you." If I were feeling better I would have stood in front of him with my hands on my hips questioning him. What had Katniss told him about me? Part of me didn't want to know—but the pain shooting up in my leg must have altered my ability to filter my thoughts.

"Like what?"

"That when Katnip and I would go out hunting—you'd follow behind us and write in the forest, but you made sure to leave before we got back. Or on the anniversary of your father's—you'd walk over to the mine and leave him a letter." My brow furrowed. How did he know about that stuff? Especially the second thing. I always made sure no one was around.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Dunno. Didn't want to embarrass you, I guess. So are you gonna tell me or not?"

"You wouldn't like it."

"Why don't you let me decide that for myself."

"I—I—" I didn't get a chance to respond. Instead, I slowly slipped into a state of unconsciousness from the overwhelming pain. Why couldn't I have been stronger like Katniss? Or calmer in distress like Prim? Why did I have to be so pathetic? The last thing I heard was Gale swearing underneath his breath before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

When I finally awoke from the shock of everything, I found myself resting on a pile of leaves. The sounds of a river running nearby echoed through the trees along with the quiet murmurs of the people. For a moment, my senses couldn't process. Why was in the middle of the forest in a pile of leaves? Why did everyone look so sad? Why did their voices sound so pained? But then it hit me like a ton of bricks and everything came flooding back to me.

My first instincts were worry and fear. I instantly shot up into a sitting position trying to find my mother and Prim. Were they alright? Had they made it? But they were beside me and pushed me back down to the ground, which only gave me slight relief. Then a fiery pain surged through my body. I wanted to scream from the pain shooting up my leg, but my mother wrapped her hand around my mouth and kissed my forehead. "Shhhh! We're not out of the woods yet," my mother whispered to in my ear. It was clear she meant that both literally and figuratively. We were still somewhere deep in the heart of the forest and the Capitol still wished vengeance upon us. It felt like we were fighting a losing battle.

I slowly nodded my head, acknowledging that I understood. I had to be quiet. Our lives were still at risk. My mother kissed my forehead once more and then removed her hand from my mouth. Prim handed me a flat stone with something smashed all over it. I looked at her hesitantly. I hadn't a clue what she was trying to give me. I wasn't gifted in _that_ area like she was. She gave me a reassuring smile and said, "It should help relieve the pain a little." She pressed her hand to my cheek and then sighed. "But there isn't much else I can do for your ankle. It's broken Bri. Mom and I splinted it, but that's all we can with what we have."

It was obvious she was holding _something_ back from me, but I didn't call her out on it. Instead, I looked down at my ankle and saw that there were two branches on either side of my leg, tied together with a belt. The belt looked familiar, but I knew that it was neither Prim's nor my mother's. But before I could figure it out, Prim urged me to eat whatever she had smashed. "Go on," she said holding the flat stone out to me as if it were my dinner plate.

Reluctantly, I ate whatever Prim had ground up for me. Whatever it was, it tasted terrible. It was very bitter. I wished I had something to wash the taste down with. Thankfully, my mother reappeared with a tin cup of water. I wasn't sure where she had gotten the tin cup from, but the water was cool and it washed the bitter taste away. My mother kissed my forehead again. It was obvious she was worried about me. She never showed me _this_ much affection. Not since before my father died. For a moment, panic rippled through me. Was this going to be it for me? Was I going to die?

Whispers spread throughout the camp as the faint sounds of screams and explosions could be heard in the background. I choked at the thought that _that_ could have been us. But it wasn't. We were only _safe_ because Gale had made it to us just in time. _I_ was safe because he had carried me as if I were nothing more than a child.

Gale was in a sense, my _savior_. My eyes began to search for him. Where was he? The last thing I remembered was fainting in his arms, not one of my finer moments, I'd admit. But I was only here right now because of him. For a brief second, I thought that maybe carrying me had caused something to happen to him. That maybe him saving me had turned out to be his downfall. But I breathed a slight sigh of relief and smiled when I found him sitting with his family, holding tightly onto his little sister, Posy, who sat on his lap.

Gale must have caught sight of me because he looked over at me and nodded his head, a rather serious expression on his face. I blushed. I wasn't sure why I blushed, but I did. Maybe it was because I was pathetic enough to faint in his arms. Or maybe it was because I was embarrassed that for a moment there, I actually enjoyed being in his strong arms...that I had felt safe in his arms. But I mustn't let my mind wander. Not _there._

I brushed my matted hair behind my ear and turned away. Prim began prattling on about Gale. "He was so brave. He led us all through the forest, even while carrying you like a dead deer carcass."

"Hey," I groaned.

"I'm just saying," Prim said looking at me knowingly before she continued. "We're only staying here until people have had some time to rest and eat. Then we're going to keep going. Gale says we should travel until it's too dark to see."

I sighed and looked back in the direction from which we had come. I could see smoke in the distance. We needed to put as much distance between us and District 12 as possible, but it didn't really feel like we ever would be far enough away.

I asked Prim to help me to my feet because I was growing restless. I didn't want to just sit here any longer. I needed to do something—anything, to get my mind off things. Prim suggested that I put my swollen ankle in the cool river to keep the swelling down. That seemed better than sitting here and letting my mind wander.

Taking Prim's hands, I struggled to get up on my feet. I only made it a step before I went crashing back to the forest floor. Angrily, I threw the leaves I landed on. I was pathetic, I couldn't even take a few steps. Tears stung at my eyes. I was only going to be a thorn in the side for my people. I hated feeling like a burden, a feeling I was quite used to compared to Katniss and Prim.

My sister remained calm, despite the situation. She helped me to my feet again and wrapped one of my arms around her shoulder. My mother came to my other side and provided me support as well. It was very slow and seemingly endless walk to the river. I wasn't so sure that I was going to be able to keep going with the rest of them when we started walking again.

A thought hit me. They should probably just leave me here. I attempted to voice as much to my mother and Prim, but they wouldn't hear any of it. Rather, they just made sure I was comfortable by the river's edge. Slowly, I dipped my foot into the cool, refreshing water. It felt good. I looked to my mother and sister and sighed. They were unfailingly kind and patient. Sometimes I wished I could be more like them. Sometimes I wished I could be more like Katniss. I never really seemed to be enough, not even for myself.

As I sat at the river's edge, lost in thought. Katniss was probably dead, my home destroyed, and here I was injured. To say that I was wallowing in self-pity probably would have been an understatement. But there really wasn't much else I actually could do at this point. Prim tried to cheer me up by hugging me from behind. I patted her hands that were wrapped around me and leaned back into her.

"How's the ankle?" a voice asked from behind. I turned around to find Gale, with Posy in his arms. He slowly approached us. I turned away, my face obviously aflame from embarrassment at being seen in this state. I didn't really want to tell him the status of my ankle.

But just when I was contemplating the words I was going to say, Prim spoke up for me. "It's broken," Prim responded. "She's not going to be able to walk for awhile. She said that we should just leave her here."

"Prim," I hissed at my sister for revealing _that_ to Gale.

Prim rolled her eyes and shot back in typical little sister fashion. "What? It's the truth."

I argued right back, forgetting Gale for a moment. "Yeah, well, I'd prefer not to be painfully reminded of how useless I am to everyone. You'd be better off without me."

"I'm not leaving anyone else behind," Gale muttered.

I sighed. "I'll just slow down—"

But Gale wasn't to be moved. He looked at me rather sternly and said, "I won't do it, Bri. We've lost enough good people today and we're not gonna lose you too."

His last comment kind of struck me. Did he feel responsible for not getting more people out? He shouldn't. He helped save plenty of people. He helped save _me._ But Gale didn't say any more on the matter. Instead, he walked Posy closer to the river's' edge, holding onto her hand.

I looked around at the group of us that remained. There had to be several hundred of us. Enough of us to tell our story—so that District 12 could still live on, in a sense. But yet, I could sense a feeling of guilt as I looked at Gale, who stared at the water absently. At least, that's what I thought. But I couldn't quite read him the way Katniss could.

The thought of my older sister caused a lump to grown in my throat. I swallowed hard and stared at the water. Was my sister dead? Would she be counted as another loss in those damn Hunger Games? I missed her. I knew that. Then again—she hadn't been the sister I missed in quite some time. Those damn games changed her. They changed her for the worse. I knew about the nightmares and the paranoia. Sometimes, I wished it would have been me that had gone. I likely would have died, but then Katniss and Prim would both be safe.

I wrapped my arms tightly, hugging myself. I looked up for a moment and watched as Posy slipped on a rock. Prim immediately rushed to the younger girl's aid—although it probably wasn't necessary. I was left alone with my mother. She reached over and took hold of my hand. "We need to be strong. It's what Katniss wanted," my mother said.

"Do you think she's—" I started.

My mother shook her head and quickly reprimanded me. "Not right now with Prim so close, Bri."

"She's not as naïve as you think. She knows-"

"Briony, please."

I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. "Fine." I knew it was a childish response, but I was after all, still a child.

My mother gave me a slight smile. She began to run her fingers through my tangled hair. At first, as she hit each snarl, I cringed. But eventually, it began to feel nice. It almost relaxed me but it reminded me of Katniss. My mother wasn't the one who usually did this with me. It had always been Katniss. Katniss, Prim, and I used to sit in a row on a bed, Katniss braiding my hair and I would try Prim's hair. Although, I'd usually mess up and Katniss would have to fix it.

I sighed as my mother braided my hair like a crown at the roots of my hair before she pulled it back into a high ponytail. She tied it back with something from the forest floor. She then turned my face toward her. I could tell that she was thinking of Katniss looking at me. When we were young, people were always mistaking us for each other. We both had dark hair and icy eyes. Sometimes, we looked like twins.

My mother's eyes gleamed with tears that threatened to spill. I rested my hand against her cheek. "Not in front of Prim," I whispered. "Katniss wouldn't want it."

"I know," my mother whispered back before she kissed my forehead and repeated again, "I know."

Prim walked back toward us holding Posy's hand as Gale walked behind her. He looked like he had something on his mind. He stopped beside us and said, "We should probably get going. We need to put more distance between us while there's still daylight. If you could start rounding people up."

"Of course," my mother responded before she tightly squeezed my hand and then stood up. She and Prim began to walk through those left, helping them up, and telling them it was time to start walking again.

I looked up at Gale, who looked down at me rather seriously. "Bri, I'll be right back to get you. I just want to make sure Posy gets back by my mother."

"Gale, you don't have to—" I started.

He shook his head and gave a slight chuckle. "I forgot you're just as stubborn as Katniss."

"I'm not stubborn." I folded my arms across my chest and looked up at him, but Gale gave me a pointed look.

"Like I said, I'll be right back." He gave me a slight smile before he walked toward his mother holding onto Posy's hand.

I sat there and watched as my mother and Prim continued to gather the troops. I pulled my foot out of the water, the pain already beginning to annoy me. After I sat there for several minutes, Gale came back for me. He held out his hand to help me to my feet. I struggled to stand on one foot before he quickly turned his back to me and bent over a little and said, "Up."

Understanding that I was going to ride on his back and not his arms this time, I grasped Gale's shoulders with my hands before I fell onto his back. He grunted for a moment before he stood up straight and adjusted me on his back, shifting my weight to make it easier to carry me.

I groaned, "I'm not an invalid, you know."

"Damnit, Bri. I made a promise to your sister and I'm not going back on it now because you're grumpy."

I had to admit that I wasn't all that shocked by his confession, but the way he just threw it out there angered me. "So that's why you're helping me? For Katniss?"

Gale's shoulders tensed as he carefully planned his words. "And because you need my help." I sighed. Maybe he was a little right about me being grumpy—I mean, with my ankle and all; but I wasn't going to just give in to him that easily. This wasn't over.

With me on his back, Gale led the refugees through the forest. He remained almost silent. The only words he spoke were directions to the group. Part of me wondered if he was mad at me. But then I remembered that Gale was just as stubborn as me and Katniss. I knew that he was already dealing with enough on his plate—so I refrained from going any farther.

Instead, I made myself comfortable, resting my chin on the crook of his neck with my arms wrapped tightly around him. For a moment, I thought I saw his face flush at my touch but maybe I was just making it up. For all I knew, I could be delirious. No matter what the reason, we had a long way to go until we found safety and it looked like there was no end in sight.


	3. Chapter 3

After the sun had set we stopped for the night. There was no sense in losing one another in the darkness, so it was safer to keep camp. Although there were no campfires. We knew better than to give away our position. We were wanted fugitives. Fugitives. The thought seemed odd. _Me_? A wanted fugitive. If it wasn't the truth I probably would have found the thought rather humorous. But in fact, I was terrified. Terrified that if that if we were found, we would be dead.

Gale set me down beside my mother and sister. They were huddled together beside a tree under the blanket that my mother had managed to grab before we left. I scooted close to my mother. She kissed my head and then looked at Gale. "Thank you for the many kindnesses you have shown me and my family, Gale," my mother said softly.

I snuggled close to my mother and smiled up at him too. Our family depended on Gale for more than just carrying me like a dead deer carcass. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, but then he silently nodded his head and walked to meet his own family. I sighed. Gale had always seemed so sure of himself, something I rarely ever felt. I always felt so uncertain about everything. Especially compared to my incredibly brave older sister. At this point, I knew I was moping over nothing, but I couldn't help it. Pain still shot up my leg and I was tired. Two ingredients for a crabby Briony Everdeen.

Prim left for a few minutes to gather food for us to eat. Of course, it was nothing more than a small collection of berries and roots. That was about all one could find in the darkness. The berries and roots weren't much for my grumbling stomach, but I remembered times when I had eaten less. Which was almost every day before Katniss started hunting or had been summoned into those wretched Hunger Games.

I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep after the long and excruciating day we had, but Prim had other plans for me. I had closed my eyes for no more than a few seconds when _oomph_ , a young child crawl into my lap and snuggled against me. I opened my eyes to see that Prim had gathered several of the little children in our group at my side to hear a story before they fell asleep for the evening. I eyed my sister curiously before she responded, "Something to keep their little minds off things."

I nodded my head and then looked down to find Posy Hawthorne on my lap. She looked so innocent when she asked, "Can you tell us a story Briony?"

"You forgot the magic word," I said as I gently touched her nose.

" _Please_?" Posy blinked several times, using her puppy-dog child eyes against me. Not that I was going to deny her request in the first place. I was just buying some time for Posy's brothers to finish gathering around.

"Oh, I suppose," I responded."Since you did ask so nicely."

Posy grinned at me again before she snuggled against me. Prim and my mother looked at me with soft smiles on their faces and I nodded my head. I might not have any paper to write a story like I usually did—but simply telling one would have to do for now. If I could keep the children calm and their thoughts occupied, then maybe we could stay safe for just a little while longer.

I cleared my throat and then began.

"There were once three little ducks who loved to swim. They lived in a beautiful pond in the middle of a quiet forest. These ducks were the closest of friends—some might even call them sisters. The oldest little duck was strong and brave and protected the other little ducks from anything that tried to hurt them. And I mean _anything_. Not even the meanest, slyest fox could get past the oldest little duck. Now, the youngest little duck was kind and good—she was always patient and knew how to take care of the little ducks. Whenever they were hurt, the youngest duck was quick to help and ease the pain."

Posy's brow furrowed as she questioned, "What about the middle duck?"

"I'm getting there," Briony chuckled before she continued. "Now, the middle little duck was something of a misfit. She was neither as strong nor brave nor patient as the other little ducks, but the other little ducks loved her just the same. The middle little duck always knew she was loved, but sometimes she just felt out of place and that she didn't really belong to anyone other than the two other little ducks. But even then, she sometimes felt like she didn't belong.

"One day the oldest little duck had to leave to protect the other little ducks from danger. The other little ducks were sad and scared to see her go, but they knew that they had to keep living—even if it meant living without the oldest little duck. It was what the oldest little duck would want them to do.

"Now, the two littlest ducks clung tightly to each other as they waited for the oldest little duck to return to them safely. Word spread that the oldest little duck went into battle with a red fox—and the littlest ducks were scared. But that oldest little duck managed to outsmart that cunning fox—and do you know what? The oldest little duck managed to come back home to the other little ducks. They littlest ducks were so happy to have her back, but something was different. The oldest little duck had changed. She was still as fierce and brave, but there always seemed to be something she was hiding. Something she was hiding to protect the littlest ducks. But none of that changed her love for the other little ducks. So, the littlest ducks threw a party for their returned friend. And they lived happily ever after swimming in their pond, laughing and enjoying things that little ducks enjoyed. The end."

I knew it definitely wasn't my best work—but it was all that I could come up with on such short notice. I could see from Prim's stance in the moonlight that she had understood the hidden meaning to my story, but the little children thankfully did not. I looked around at the few children that sat before me—they looked happy with the story. How silly it seemed to tell a story at such a time, but on the other hand it was almost the perfect thing to keep the little ones calm.

Posy reached up and whispered in my ear, "Another one, _please_."

"Another one?" I chuckled.

Posy nodded her head and pretty soon all the little children were eagerly agreeing for another story. I quickly quieted them down by starting another story. My next story was nothing special. To be honest, I couldn't even really tell you what it was about. I think it was a mixture of all the fairytales I had heard as a child, somehow put into one. Thankfully, the kids didn't seem to mind my rambling story. In fact, they rather seemed to enjoy it.

As I told the story, I could feel Posy's head resting heavily against my chest. I stopped for a second and looked down at the young child. I shook my head when I saw that Posy had fallen asleep on me. Hazelle, Gale and Posy's mother, chuckled at the sight. The older woman patted my face before she reached down and took her daughter from my arms. I smiled up at her before she walked away with Gale's younger siblings.

Hazelle had always liked me. Honestly, sometimes I felt that she liked _me_ better than she liked Katniss. I knew could be reading too much into past situations, but I felt that she didn't like how my sister seemed to lead Gale on for years. Not that Hazelle was ever unkind to Katniss, but she was always just a little kinder to me.

My mother came up and fussed over my ankle. "I wish there was more I could do, Briony," my mother said with tears in her eyes. It was obvious that she was worried...worried about _me_. I tried to put on a brave face like I knew Katniss would do. Only I was pretty sure I was terrible at it. I gritted my teeth attempting to tell her that it was fine, but I'm pretty sure she knew that I wasn't.

To distract myself from my pain, I forced myself to slow my breathing so that I would fall asleep. Only, it seemed to take forever for me to fall asleep. Normally, I could easily fall asleep, but not tonight. The one time I needed sleep, my body wasn't allowing me the necessity. Any little snap of a twig or sound of an animal scurrying seemed to keep me awake. After what seemed like an eternity, but I finally fell asleep. But it seemed like I was only asleep for five minutes before I was being shaken awake.

"Bri—" a voice whispered as I frantically awoke. With my eyes wide and my mouth ready to scream, I looked around frantically to see Gale leaning in front of me. Was something wrong? Had the Capital found us? Were we about to die? So many terrible scenarios rushed through my head. I was scared. Scared to the point that I backed-up a bit as he watched me. "Sh! Everything's fine. Everything's fine Bri."

I exhaled loudly and glared at him before I gave him a good whack on the arm. "What the hell," I hissed. "You scared me half to death. I thought we were going to die!"

"Sorry. I wanted to show you something," Gale whispered with a slight grin on his face.

I blinked slowly. "It couldn't possibly wait 'til morning?"

He shook his head. "Nah, they'd be gone by then."

My brow furrowed. "What would be gone?"

Gale grinned again and reached out his hand. "Do you wanna come or not?"

Rolling my eyes, I retorted, "Seeing as I can't walk—that's up to you."

Gale smirked a bit before he reached down and picked me up as if I were nothing more than a child. His time in the mine had definitely made him stronger and it felt good to be in his arms. But I would never admit that out loud.

If I hadn't known he was interested in my sister, I would have thought this to be some big romantic gesture. But my head and heart knew better than to hope. He remained silent as he carried me, but I could feel his breath on my face. I tried to glance up at his face a few times, but I didn't want him to catch me looking at him. What I did see made my heart beat a little faster. I had to remind my heart not to hope. Besides, there wasn't even a good chance we'd ever get out of the forest alive.

We came to a sudden stop atop a rock formation. Gale held me for a few seconds as we looked out onto the forest below. He then gently set me down on the ground and turned away for a moment.

At first I was confused. What was he going to do? Push me off the rock formation and kill me? I knew my imagination was too vivid, but sometimes I couldn't help it. Having an active imagination was both a blessing and a curse. My imagination had gotten me through many difficult times, but there were times when it had made things worse. This was one of those times.

I was surprised when Gale showed me his real reason for bringing me to this spot. He nudged my arm before he pointed for me to look out into the trees. I gasped when I saw the fireflies shining, almost as if they were weaving in and out through the trees. When I was little my father used to take me out to catch them. It was one of the only memories I had of my father. He would catch them in a jar with special holes in the lid and I hold onto them for a bit. Then we would release them before trying to find a few more. I used to try to recreate the memory on my own once my father died, many times.

"Fireflies," I said breathlessly. "What—how—"

"I used to watch you run around and try to catch them," Gale said. "Of course Katniss and I were always making fun of you from behind the trees. But in all honesty, I liked catching 'em too."

"Of course you guys did." I was glad he couldn't see my eyeroll. Gale and Katniss were always together… Then something clicked and I turned to him with my eyes wide. "Hang on a minute. Every time I got home there _magically_ appeared a jar of fireflies on the porch waiting for me. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

Gale shifted uncomfortably beside me. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said gruffly.

"It was you, wasn't it?"

"I still don't know what you're talking about." I could hear the teasing in Gale's tone and I turned to look at him. His smile was bright in the moonlight and I sat there for a moment in pure disbelief.

It had been _him_ this whole time time and I hadn't realized it. Why would he do something like that for _me_? Probably because I was Katniss' sister. It was the only reason I could think of; but my brain wouldn't let the matter rest. "Why? Why did you do it? Why are you doing it now?"

There was a long pause before Gale spoke. "I—I just thought that after the day you've had you could use a little cheering up."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that. He clearly ignored my first question, but I didn't want to go back and make an issue of it. Especially, if it wasn't really an issue for him. So I sat there for a few minutes just watching the fireflies flicker and the stars shine overhead. I looked over at Gale again and he appeared almost relaxed. I hardly ever saw him relaxed. He was usually rather stoic, but this was a nice change.

"Gale?" I said rather softly.

He turned toward me. "What?"

I blushed in the darkness. "Thank you, for everything you've done for me. I mean it."

"You're welcome," he responded and nodded his head.

We sat there in silence just watching the fireflies. I shivered for a moment from the cool night's air and unintentionally leaned a little closer to Gale, almost snuggling against him. I could easily feel the heat radiating from his body, causing me to blush _again_ , but I was too cold to move away from him. If he minded, he didn't say anything. He just sat there solid as a stone, but yet with a relaxed expression.

I wasn't sure how long we sat there watching the fireflies—but things felt comfortable, even in the silence. I knew that it was rare to find someone you didn't feel like you had to talk to all the time. To feel comfortable in the silence. Funny how over the years I never would have imagined that I could feel this way with my sister's best friend, but I knew that it wouldn't be anything more than this. I knew he was in love with my sister. I couldn't let it be anything more—because he was in love with my sister. But it was funny how in a matter of a few hours everything you once knew could change.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited/followed. It means a lot to me! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, I woke up snuggled up to my mother. The pain shooting up from my ankle made me grimace in pain. Thankfully, Prim must have anticipated as much because she gently tapped me on the shoulder and handed a hollowed out rock that looked like a small bowl. "Drink," she told me gently.

"What's in it?" I asked as I accepted the drink. I looked at the drink and then back up at her.

"You're better off not knowing," Prim said softly before she smiled. I nodded my head and took her word for it before I quickly downed the liquid. It tasted disgusting. She was right. I _was_ better off not knowing what was in it. I must have made a face because Prim chuckled at me. "I won't say I told you…" her voice trailed off.

"But you did," I finished for her, still grimacing at the aftertaste in my mouth. My mother walked back over and kissed my forehead and then she looked at my sister. I _knew_ that glance with words unspoken between the two of them. They were worried. I could see it. "What? What is it?" I asked them.

"It's nothing to worry about right now, sweetheart," my mother said.

Nothing to worry about... _right now_. Meaning that there was something to worry about...eventually. "Just tell me. I can handle it." I wasn't so sure that I could, but if everyone else could be brave right now, then I shouldn't shirk that responsibility.

My mother chewed her lip and glanced at Prim once more before she said rather grimly, "We might have to re-break your bone to set it properly."

My mind was swirling. I hadn't thought it _that_ bad. I never considered it an option. I knew I was a hindrance to the survival of my district, but I hadn't...I stopped my thoughts, closed my eyes, and swallowed hard. Then, I opened my eyes and glanced down at my foot. Despite my lack of training and aptitude for medicine, even I could see that it wasn't healing properly. Tears began to sting my eyes. My mother must have noticed my reaction because she knelt to the ground in front of me and took my face in her hands. "We will find a way to fix this, Briony. I promise you, you will walk again."

My heart stopped for a minute. I hadn't even thought about _that_. Tears started to stream down my cheeks. I wasn't sure anything could possibly make the situation any worse. My mother wrapped her arms around me, held me close, and rocked me like she had when I was a little girl. I clung to her, wishing it would just be over...all of it.

The sound of crunching branches drew closer. I looked up with red and swollen eyes to see Gale approaching us. "We need to get moving," he said.

"We'll be ready in a minute, Gale," my mother said before she kissed my forehead again. I watched as Gale turned and walked a few feet away, gently kicking at the leaves on the forest floor. My mother turned my face so that my eyes met hers. "I'll take a look at it again tonight and if I need to I'll…" her voice trailed off.

"Why not just do it now?" I asked sounding far braver than I actually felt.

"Because Gale said we need to get going." She patted my cheek and softly smiled. "Be good for him."

"Mother," I groaned, but she got up and moved to get Gale, so he could carry me _again_. I felt like such a burden to my people, and I didn't like feeling like that. I already knew I had nothing like Katniss nor Prim to offer them, meaning I was useless. Completely and utterly useless.

Gale came over and reached both his hands out to help me up. I placed both my hands in his. His hands were bigger and rougher than mine, but they were also warm and the grip on my hands was reassuring. Once I was in a standing position, on one foot, he leaned me against the tree before he turned around and I climbed onto his back. "I'm sorry about this," I muttered against his shoulder. "If I get too heavy…"

"Briony," Gale groaned. "I've carried heavier loads than you working in the mine. Carrying you is easier than what I did down there."

My brow furrowed. "Really?" I asked. I knew that the mine workers were overworked and some of them were worked themselves to death and others lost their lives in the mine, like both of our fathers. I"Did-did you ever think you would die like our fathers down there?" I wasn't sure why I asked the question. I'm sure I could blame the shooting pain in my leg if he asked, but the words were already out there.

"Every day," he answered. I clung a little tighter to him. I was glad he hadn't died in the mines. Despite the contradictory feelings surging within me, I was glad he was here with me. The thought seemed stupid. I was probably rather delirious at this point. I needed to stop thinking.

Gale rounded the people up before he led them further into the forest. I kept thinking that we had to be far enough away from District 12, that the Capitol couldn't possibly find us...at least I hoped it and I prayed for it. But wishing and hoping never got people very far. _That_ I was soon reminded of.

About an hour into our journey a low rumbling came from overhead. "Do you hear that?" I asked Gale. He stopped for a moment to listen with me. Holding tightly onto him, I glanced upward. There was a wind coming from the north and a from the south. "Look," I said pointing the wind situation out to Gale.

Within seconds, an aircraft came into view. My heart began to pound rapidly. They had found us. The Capitol had found us and we were going to die. Panic raced through my veins as I held tightly onto Gale.

"Run!" Gale shouted. "Split up! Split up!"

Panic ensued. For me, it all seemed to go in slow motion as I watched what was happening. Children began screaming. Mothers shouted for their children. People began to run. Some were being trampled others were pulled away from their families. It was happening... _again_. Had we survived all of this only to be killed a few days later? Where was the sense in that? If there truly was an almighty Creator, why would he allow such a cruel fate?

Gale took off running, but I knew I was holding him back. I tried to fight for him to let go of me, but he only held on tighter. "Stop!" I pleaded with him. "I'm only slowing you down."

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Bri," he grunted as he continued to weave through the trees. "If I put you down, I'm staying with you. You want _that_ on your conscience?" He knew exactly which of my buttons to push to get me to listen to him. How? I had no idea, but he knew. So, I stopped fighting him.

Trees seemed to blur by when a voice from above rang out, "Stop running! We have you surrounded."

"Like hell we are," Gale muttered to himself, loud enough for me to hear.

"We mean you no harm. We are District 13."

Gale stopped suddenly. The back of his head collided with my face and blood began to spurt from my nose. I pinched the bridge of my nose and held my head down as my mother had taught me as my thoughts began to swirl. District 13? They were supposed to be dead. Like what had just happened to District 12, they had been bombed because of their rebellious ways. I had always considered it a tall-tale or story that any of them had managed to survive. But we have survived. It seemed possible, but highly unlikely given how long it had been.

But perhaps speaking to use was just a distraction tactic, because Gale and I were greeted by a burly man with a gun. "Back that way," the man said gruffly pointing toward the area we had just traveled from.

"And if we don't?" Gale asked bravely as I continued to cling to him.

"That is your choice," the man said eyeing us. "But you would be considered an enemy at treated as such. We are giving you a chance to come with us and join together. To feed your hungry, soothe your suffering, and heal your wounded." The man paused for a moment and eyed my leg. " _That_ will take almost nothing for us to fix. You stay out here on your own and that break could cause infection, which could cost the girl her leg or worse, her life. But the choice is yours."

Gale stiffened. But even through my fear, I realized that this man had a story. Every person had a story to tell and if we could just hear his story, then maybe we might be able to make the right choice.

"You're a healer?" I questioned, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"Among other things," he said, gesturing to his gun. "They needed help on the ground today, rounding up any survivors."

"For the Capitol?" I asked slyly.

The man rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Weren't you listening? We're from District 13."

"District 13 is gone. It was firebombed over 70 years ago," Gale added. "No one survived."

"That's only what the Capitol wanted you to think. They're spouting the same lie about District 12 right now. Saying that ya'll were bombed for rebellion and that there were no survivors. They're trying to incite fear into the other districts, using you as an example just as for many years they used us. We're trying to help you here. Let us help you." The man then aimed his gun at them. "Now, head toward the clearing or I'll be forced to treat you as an enemy of District 13."

Even though we really didn't have a choice, Gale whispered to me, "What do you think?"

I chewed my bottom lip for a moment taking it all in. "I think it's either die now or take a chance and trust them. I don't think he belongs to the Capitol. He wouldn't have tried to reason with us if he belonged to them."

"I suppose you're right. But I don't like it…"

"This is only protocol to ensure everyone's safety," the man with the gun said. "Once you're screened and safely in our custody, the guns will be put away. I promise." A shot rang out and echoed through the woods.

"Promise?" Gale scoffed at the man.

"I have a daughter about your age," he said. "You're both young and have your lives ahead of you yet. Don't make me shoot you. I'm trying to help you." The man lowered his weapon so that it hung from the sling around his shoulder. He put both hands in the air. "I'll warn you, I'm a quick draw."

"Gale," I whisper into his ear, but he must have known what I was going to say before I said it because he turned around and headed to where the man directed us.

We were the last the of District 12 survivors to join the group. It appeared that most of our people weren't as stubborn or disbelieving as Gale and I. I looked around to see who had been shot, but already having lost so many people from our district, I couldn't tell. People were huddled together and whispering as an aircraft began to descend in front of us.

"Once you are screened and on an aircraft…" a woman started. "Your needs will be attended to. You will, however, need to swear allegiance to District 13 and renounce the Capitol. Not a particularly difficult decision given what has just become of your district. To do so, will be fairly simple. All you have to do is state your name, say _my allegiance is to District 13,_ and cross this line. So, who's first?"

Still, on Gale's back, I watched one of the men swear his allegiance and then step across the makeshift line in the dirt. Someone from the aircraft immediately greeted him with a blanket and ushered him inside. After we saw that they were keeping their word, the District 12 survivors steadily began to swear their allegiance and cross that line. I looked around for my mother and Prim, but I couldn't find them. Had they made it? I couldn't see Gale's family either. Gale must have been thinking the same thing because we looked at each other worriedly as our turn approached. We were next.

"Gale Hawthorne," Gale said gruffly. "I swear allegiance to District 13." He was about to take a step forward when the woman who had spoken earlier held her hand out to stop him. Beside her was a man scribbling down their names onto a clipboard.

" _You_ may cross, but _she_ needs to make the oath on her own," the woman said glancing at me.

"But she can't walk," Gale argued. "I've carried her since she fell right outside of District 12."

The woman folded her arms across her chest. "Our simple conditions must be met."

"Gale, it's fine," I said, anticipating how much pain I was going to have to endure. Gale looked back at me and I nodded my head, to let him know I would be fine...or at least I hoped I would be fine. He set me down and I immediately collapsed to the ground. He immediately whipped around to help me, but I held a hand up to stop him. "Go on. I'll be right behind you, I said through gritted teeth."

Gale looked at me trying to call a bluff, but eventually he decided to take the step. Slowly, with the little arm strength I had, I forced myself into a standing position, relying heavily on my good leg. I was sweating bullets as I gritted my teeth to keep from screaming out in pain. I was almost there. Despite all the times I had insisted I be left behind, deep down I hadn't really wanted that. I had wanted to live, to survive. And I wasn't going to keep myself from letting that happen.

"Briony Everdeen," I hissed through gritted teeth. "I swear my allegiance to District 13." I attempted to take a step across the line, but I fell. Thankfully, Gale had anticipated that because I fell into his arms. He easily scooped me up and I took the opportunity to look at the woman. She looked mildly impressed. But if I had one thing in my favor-it was my Everdeen stubbornness.

True to their word, someone immediately came to our assistance with blankets. The man from earlier ushered us onto the aircraft. "Where are they?" I whispered to Gale as we both looked around for our families. My foot was killing me. I was pretty sure I hurt it even worse back there.

"I don't know," Gale whispered back.

"There is a second aircraft," the burly man said softly to them. "Get me their names and I'll call it in."

I clung to Gale's shirt, closing my eyes tight to brace the pain. But he answered for me. True to his word, the man immediately called it in as he helped us find a place to sit. "It might be a minute to two," the man said. "They're not quite finished loading. Sit. Let me have a look at that ankle."

We did as we were told and the man immediately took hold of my foot. "That's a bad break," he muttered. "But I've fixed worse. Don't worry, we'll get you all fixed up."

Of course, I was worried, but not about my ankle. I was worried about my sister and my mother. He handed me something for the pain and I swallowed whatever it was without asking. Then seconds later, he pressed at his earpiece and then smiled at Gale and I. "Your mothers and siblings are safe aboard the other aircraft. You'll see them when we get home."

 _Home_. The word seemed foreign. But that was what District 13 was about to become: home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

I was carried from the aircraft on a stretcher when we arrived in District 13. Gale never left my side as they took me to their medical bay and for that, I was thankful because while I wouldn't have admitted it, I was terrified. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was so scared that I must have lost all sense of reason because my fingers reached out and brushed against Gale's hand His eyes flashed down at me for a brief moment, but he must have understood my fear. Without a single question, he reached out and gripped my hand. I held tightly onto his hand as we pressed through an unfamiliar concrete corridor.

The pain shooting through my leg was excruciating. I wondered if for the first time I was finally feeling the extent of my injury. All I knew that pain surged through my body and I wanted nothing more than for it to stop. Tears pricked my eyes, but I couldn't let these strangers see me looking weak. I felt the need to prove to them that I was worth saving.

I heard a small grunt escape Gale's lips. I must have been clutching his hand too hard because he loosed the grip on my hand and wiggled his fingers. I muttered an apology through gritted teeth as I let go of his hand.

"It's fine, Bri," Gale said grabbing hold of my hand once more.

If I hadn't been so focused on my pain, I'm sure I would have felt my heart flutter or the blush creep onto my face. But alas, I didn't. I just closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing, something my mother had attempted to teach me numerous times growing up. Not that it ever really worked before, but I prayed for a miracle that it would work now to calm me down.

Breathe in.

Exhale.

Breathe in.

Exhale.

I did that same pattern over and over again, trying to calm myself down. I was certain I was almost a little calmer when we came to a sudden stop. So much for that. My eyes fluttered open.

"You need to stay here, sir," one of the medics dressed in gray told Gale.

With a stern expression on his face, he shook his head. "I'm not leaving her," he told them before looking down at me and squeezing my hand.

"We can't allow you in. It's against protocol."

Gale shook his head. "I don't care what your protocol says. I'm staying with her. I made a promise and I don't intend on breaking it."

"I can understand your predicament. Truly, I can. But you're wasting our time...and hers. If infection sets in she could die. You really want to have gotten this far only for her to die of something completely treatable?"

Infection? Die? My heart began to pound faster and faster. I could practically hear the blood rushing in my head. The last thing I remember was looking up at Gale with tears streaming down my cheek. I saw him bend down and I felt him press a kiss to my forehead. Then everything went black... _again_.

My body felt rather stiff when I finally came to. I tried to open my eyes, but the light was too bright, so I immediately shut them again. I was surprised to find that there was no pain coursing through my body. That meant one of two things I was either dead and in the afterlife or whatever medical procedure had worked. I assumed the latter because my brain felt somewhat foggy and I had always assumed one would have complete control of their faculties in heaven.

Slowly, I tried opening my eyes again. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I was able to take in my surroundings. The walls of my room were completely white. Everything was white, which was probably why it felt like I had been blinded and why I immediately thought I was dead. In the corner of my room, I spotted my mother holding tightly onto Prim as they both slept. I breathed a sigh of relief. They were both safe. But I was surprised to find a soft pressure on my left hand.

I turned to look down and I spotted at my bedside, Gale. He was sitting a chair, gently holding onto my hand with one of his. He seemed to use his other arm as a pillow. His arm rested on my bed and his head on his arm. He too was asleep. I smiled softly. That was probably the most peaceful I had ever seen Gale. It was in that moment, I realized how young he actually looked. Gale had been forced to grow up quickly for the sake of his family, but truth was, Gale wasn't all that much older than me. He had been through a lot for someone so young. But then again, we all had.

I tried to stretch without waking Gale. But in all honesty, I didn't want to let go of his hand. I enjoyed the warmth and gentle pressure of his hand. I enjoyed his attention. Being the middle child, it always felt like I was lacking attention. It was probably just my perception of things, but it always seemed like Prim had my mother's attention and Katniss my father's, not to mention the boys. Maybe it was just the pain medication making me think irrationally, but for some reason, it felt like things had changed between Gale and I since we had escaped District 12. But on second thought, that was crazy and _that_ should be the last thing on my mind at a time like this. And yet, I couldn't help but stare down at Gale and hope that maybe it wasn't all in my head.

"You have one of the good ones," a soft, feminine voice said from the other side of the room.

My head quickly snapped to find a dark-haired, olive-toned woman standing in the doorway. She smiled softly and made her way toward me. I quickly looked away, feeling a blush creep into my cheeks. I pulled my hand out of Gale's before I said, "He's not mine."

"That's not the way I see it," she said before winking at me. "Pushed right past your mother and sister to come in here and check on you. Didn't leave that window the entire time during the surgery either."

"He just made a promise to watch over me to my sister. That's all."

The woman arched an eyebrow. "You keep telling yourself that, honey." She then shook her head before she set to checking my vitals on the machines. "Your heart rate and blood pressure are good." She walked down to where my leg was elevated in something attached to the ceiling. "That was a nasty break. Not that there was really much you could have done on the run. I'm surprised that you made it as far as you did with a break like you had."

"I-I had help," I confessed. "Gale had to carry me a lot of the way."

She nodded. "It's a good thing he did otherwise I'm not sure you would have made it this far. You're lucky to be alive and if that boy did as much as you say he did, you owe him your life."

I glanced down at Gale and nodded my head. I would likely be indebted to him for the rest of my life and there had to be a way that I could repay him. I reached out my hand to run my fingers through his tousled hair but realizing that I was being watched and that it would be quite awkward, I let my hand fall back on my bed.

"It'll be some time before you're able to walk on that leg normally. You'll be able to get around, but you just won't have your full mobility with it right away. But with some time and rehab, I have full confidence you'll make a full recovery."

I wasn't sure how to respond. So, I just said, "Thank you."

The woman nodded her head. "I'll let them know you're awake. You will need to be briefed."

"Briefed? About what?"

But she didn't voice a response. The woman pursed her lips for a moment before the words _Welcome to District 13_ rolled off her tongue like a well-practiced recitation. With that the woman turned sharply on her heel and walked away, leaving me feeling confused. One minute the woman seemed quite jovial and teasing, then the next she seemed quite frosty. I wondered if I had said or done something to warrant the change in demeanor, but I couldn't think of anything. Besides, the woman knew I was on pain medication and one really shouldn't be held accountable for their words or actions while on pain meds.

I wasn't sure how long I lay there awake, but Prim was the first of my visitors to wake. "How are you feeling?" Prim asked as she approached my bedside.

"Like I almost died," I said jokingly.

But Prim took my words too seriously. "I should have known it was worse," she told me. "I'm sorry. I should have…"

I reached out and grabbed my sister's hand. "Okay, first of all, you're my _little sister_. You're not the one responsible for me. Second, there's no way you could have known how bad it was. I mean, I wasn't even sure how bad it was. Third, we were on the run for our lives. You were worried about trying to stay alive, as you should have been."

"But maybe if I would have seen…"

"Prim, stop beating yourself up over this. I mean it. And as your older sister, you have to listen to what I tell you." A small smile forced its way onto Prim's lips. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You did all you could. If it wasn't for you, Mom, and Gale, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. You're already a good healer, Prim."

Prim's eyes began to shine with tears. "I was just so scared. I couldn't lose you too."

My heart sank. Katniss. What had become of my beautiful and strong older sister? I had a sinking suspicion I knew, but I couldn't let my mind go there. Not after I had just stupidly allowed my jealousy over her to come between us without her knowing. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Katniss was alive before I opened my eyes once more and looked at Prim.

"Don't you go falling apart on me," I said forcing a chuckle. "You're the one that's gotta keep us together. Because we all know I can't do it."

Prim shook her head and sighed. "You're always underestimating yourself, you know that?"

"God forbid I overestimate myself, you know what _that_ would do for my self-esteem?"

There was a lull in the conversation. Prim and I both glanced over at Gale and she smiled at me. "Don't say anything," I warned her. "He was just keeping his promise to Katniss, that's all. I'll get out of here and we'll probably never see each other again."

"Fine," Prim said. "But when you do want to talk about it, you can talk to me about it. I might be younger than you, but I have eyes, you know."

I rolled my eyes at her before quickly changing the subject. "So, what do you know about this place?"

"Not much," Prim said with a shrug before gesturing to me "We kinda missed the orientation."

I folded my arms across my chest and raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh, sure, blame me."

"I will because it's the truth." She smiled the smile she often had when we got into our silly little bickering matches at home. It was reassuring to see that smile. It gave me a reason to smile.

"Glad to see you smiling again," Gale said rather groggily.

I turned to see him. His head was still resting on his arm as he looked up at me with a sleepy smile on his face. "How are you doing, Bri?" he asked me.

"I think I'll live," I told him.

He shook his head and sighed before he sat up, brushing his tousled hair from his face. I then noticed my mother stirring in the corner. She glanced at us. While she looked worn-out, she looked more relaxed than I had seen her in days. She then walked over to me and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"Don't you scare me like that again," she whispered. "Do you hear me, Briony?"

"Yes, Mother," I breathed.

My mother then looked over at Gale. "Thank you for all you have done for my family. We wouldn't have made it this far without you."

Gale nodded his head.

"I would like that to continue here," my mother continued. "We need to be there for each other, venturing into this unknown. It's what Katniss would want."

We all awkwardly made eye contact and nodded our heads in agreement. It would be what Katniss would want. She would want us to keep on living...to keep on surviving. Even if that meant doing it without her. While she may not be here with us, she was certainly uniting us in spirit...a bond that could never be broken.

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 **Author's note: Thank you to those of you who read the story. It means a lot to me. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

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The next time I awoke, my mother and Prim were asleep on the bed beside mine and I felt a warm pressure on my hand. With my brow furrowed, I turned my head to see Gale sleeping in a chair beside me, his hand resting on mine. I wasn't sure how to feel about all of this. While I had always had a bit of a thing for Gale, I never thought he would give me the time of day like he gave Katniss. So then I couldn't help but wonder if I was getting his attention because I looked quite similar to my sister. Blue eyes. Long brown hair. If you squinted, you could probably easily confuse us.

My rustling must have awakened him because his blue eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked at me with a look I had never seen before, nor could I interpret what it meant. But he was smiling, which I assumed was a good thing. He gave my hand a little squeeze. "How are you feeling?" he whispered.

"Better," I responded rather hoarsely. I could feel my heart beating against my chest. He still hadn't released my hand.

"Do you need anything?" His tone was sincere. I shook my head because I didn't want him to leave and ruin this moment, despite the fact that I would have loved some water for my parched mouth. I wasn't so sure he believed me, but he nodded his head. "You should see this place. I mean, you will get to see this place, but it's incredible Bri and no one even knows it's here."

"What is it exactly?" I barely choked out my voice was so hoarse. I cleared my throat.

To my dismay, Gale released my hand and walked over to the pitcher of water sitting on a nearby table. He pulled me a cup before he walked back and handed it to me. I sat up a little and took a drink as he started to explain.

"District 13 rebuilt. We're _in_ District 13 and they seem better off than most of the other districts. Completely self-sufficient. Everything they could possibly need is here."

I shifted in my bed. "Sounds too good to be true."

"I've seen it, Bri." Gale smiled. He hadn't smiled very much the last few years. It was nice to see him smile, but I wasn't sure what to think of this place. Not after everything we had gone through to get here. My head hurt just trying to think about it.

A knocking sound came from the doorway. The woman from earlier, dressed in a gray jumpsuit, walked into the room with a knowing smile on her face. As she walked over to me, mother and Prim awoke. They got to their feet as the woman lifted my blanket to check on my leg. "It looks to be healing nicely," she said before she began pressing areas of my leg. "Does this hurt?" she asked.

I shook my head. Prim and my mother were looking over the woman's shoulders watching what she was doing to me. I shook my head and softly chuckled. Healers. I didn't understand them.

"What's so funny?" the woman asked me, her tone slightly teasing.

"Nothing," I responded, making eye contact with my mother. That response was easier than trying to explain. But my mother seemed to understand. She attempted to purse her lips, but I could see the slight amusement in her eyes before she looked back at my leg.

"Shall we give walking a try?" the woman asked.

My mother responded before I could. "So soon?"

The woman smiled and then looked at my mother. "We have many advancements here in District 13, ma'am." She then turned to look at me. "You likely won't be back to 100% functionality quite yet. But a walkabout will help determine your continued course of treatment."

While I wasn't completely sure that I was ready for this yet, I nodded my head anyway.

"She's probably going to need some help," the woman directed to Gale before she gave me pointed look.

I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed with this woman for her meddling or grateful. But I didn't have long to dwell on it because Gale immediately started to help me. I gingerly swung the once broken leg on the side of the bed as Gale gripped his hands on my forearms. I took hold of his and forced myself off the bed, carefully placing my bad leg on the ground.

"Any pain?" the woman asked.

I stood there for a moment. There was a dull pain in my leg, but nothing compared to the agonizing pain I had felt before. "A little," I told her.

"That's to be expected for as bad as your break was." She took a few notes before she looked at me once again. I was still holding onto Gale. It was as if she was taking long on purpose. I blushed and hoped Gale wouldn't realize what the woman was doing. The woman smiled somewhat slyly. "How about a few steps then?"

I inhaled deeply before I moved my bad leg forward. It wasn't too bad, but when I put all my weight on it, there was pain. Not a sharp pain, but a dull one. Gale walked backward as I took a few more steps, he was careful to hold onto me tightly. The woman took a few more notes before she walked up to me. "It's not quite ready for your full body weight yet, but as I said, that was to be expected before. I'm guessing you could probably get around with some assistance."

"I can help her," Gale quickly offered. "I don't mind."

The woman who was now standing beside him winked at me. I could hear my mother chuckle behind me. The Capitol hadn't managed to kill me, but there was a very likely possibility I was going to die from embarrassment. "I-I'm hungry," I said, trying to quickly change the subject.

The woman tapped something on the tablet she was holding. She then looked at us and smiled. "Then it is a good thing that your scheduled time in the dining hall is in about 10 minutes, which is about how long it will probably take you to get down there."

"Go there?" I questioned. I wasn't sure I was up to the task of walking to the door, let alone to the dining hall which was god knows where. My brow furrowed.

"That is the time those from District 12 have been allotted. Unless, of course, you'd rather stay here alone. But your mother, sister, and…" The woman glanced at Gale. ".. _.friend_ , are scheduled then, so they will be leaving you."

"Come with us, Bri," Gale said as he gently rubbed his thumbs against my arm. "Posy's been asking to see you every time I check on her."

My heart sank a bit. Posy. I should go for Posy. He wanted me to go for Posy. I looked up at him to find him watching me intently. I wanted to say no, but I found myself nodding my head and a trace of a smile etched on his face.

"Will you require any further assistance down?"

Gale answered for me that he would help me down there. It was strange to see him so protective over me. But I had to remind myself that it was for Katniss, even if that blasted woman continually hinted otherwise.

"If you need more assistance or the pain is too great, just ask for me."

My brow furrowed. "How? I don't even know your name."

The woman smiled. "The name's Jordyn. But just ask for Nixie and someone should be able to contact me. Enjoy your breakfast." She leaned toward me and whispered. "You're welcome." She then gave my shoulder a gentle pat and motioned us toward the door. "You know how to get there?" Nixie asked.

Gale, my mother, and Prim all nodded their heads. They had probably eaten there earlier, while I had been confined to my bed. Gale moved my arm around his waist to hold onto him as he wrapped his arm around me. He looked down at me. "I could always carry you." His expression looked rather boyish and teasing. I groaned which made him chuckle. We then slowly made our way to the door.

We walked by a window and I caught sight of my reflection. My forehead had a bandage and there were many scratches on my cheeks. My hair cascaded down my back looked like it had been brushed when it should have been severely matted. I suspected my mother or Prim to the be culprit while I was sleeping. I dragged my fingers through my hair, remembering when Prim, Katniss, and I would sit in a line. I would do Prim's hair and Katniss would do mine. Times had seemed much simpler back then and right now, I longed for a little simple.

Mother and Prim waited in the corridor for us. I told them to go on, that Gale and I would meet them down there. They looked hesitant but after a mischevious look on Prim's face, she dragged my mother away with her. Clearly, she thought I was up to something I wasn't. I just didn't want them to have to wait for me. It was bad enough that Gale was already forced to. I realized that seemed rather backward, to be okay with making Gale wait and not them. Really, it should have been the other way around. I was keeping him from his family. I was keeping him from his life. There was something seriously wrong with me. I needed to remedy that.

I pushed away from Gale and leaned against the closest wall. He looked at me, puzzled by my actions. "What the hell, Bri." he scoffed.

"Go-go on, without me," I told him, keeping my weight on my good leg as I leaned against the wall.

He rolled his eyes and reached for me, but I swatted his hand away. "Would you quit being so stubborn? Just let me help you."

"I-I don't need your pity or your help, Gale," I responded.

He folded his arms across his chest. "I don't pity you and from the looks of it, you _do_ need my help."

"You-you don't actually want to help me."

"I don't?"

"No, you're doing it out of obligation to Katniss. I'm releasing you from that obligation. Go on, then. I'll see you down there."

Gale closed his eyes and threw his head back. "Why are you Everdeen girls so stubborn?" he mumbled. He then looked at me. "I'm not doing this out of obligation. I'm doing this because I want to. Is that so hard for you to understand?"

I moved to fold my arms across my chest, but I felt myself sliding down the cement wall. So, I quickly slapped my hands against the wall to brace myself. My hands stung from the force. But I didn't say anything. I just watched him.

He shook his head and took a few steps, running his fingers through his hair. It was obvious that he was frustrated with me. I hoped that he would just hightail it to breakfast, but he didn't. He stopped and looked at me. "None of this has been about Katniss."

"But you said..."

"What I thought you wanted to hear." Gale rubbed his face in frustration.

Nervously, I reached for the leather necklace with a pendant I kept hidden at all times. I fiddled with it between my fingers. I saw Gale watching me before he bridged the distance. He reached for the necklace and softly smiled. "Do you know where this came from?" His sudden calmness unnerved me.

"Katniss gave it to me."

"Because I gave it to her," he whispered. "I made it...for you." Gale brushed his thumb against the metallic pendant with the shape of a firefly pressed into it. He then released it, the necklace dropping to my chest.

My brow furrowed. "Why?" I asked.

Gale took a step back. He shoved his hands in his pockets and chewed his bottom lip for a moment as he pondered what to say. "Because you were the one who was there for me when I needed someone most."

My brow furrowed. "What?"

He took a step closer. "I know it was you," he whispered, as he looked at me intently. "I _knew_ it was you...the entire time."

My heart beat a little faster. I pursed my lips. I knew what he was referring to. After he received his lashes. I was the one who stayed with him. Not Katniss. Katniss was so distressed that she would have done Gale more harm than good, so I stayed and looked after him. Crazy, right? Me and my lack of healing skills. Yet, I did. But when I stayed with him, I told him I was Katniss. It was wrong, but I did it anyway. I wanted to know what it felt like to be adored by him and I thought he was so delirious that he would believe it.

I blushed and looked away. He reached out and tipped my chin toward him. My lips quivered. I wasn't sure how to respond. Was he angry? I tilted his head until I met his gaze. "Why did you go along with it then?" I asked.

Gale licked his lips. "Because I wanted that moment as much as you did."

"You did?" My brow furrowed, but I saw him nod his head. I was in shock. This didn't make sense with anything I knew about him. I closed my eyes and shook my head. "No, you like Katniss." Those words were more for me. They were words I repeated to myself whenever I felt myself going too far.

"Not for some time," he whispered. I almost thought that I imagined him saying it, but he gently cradled my face with his hand. I swallowed hard looking up at him. He looked down at me with that same unfamiliar expression I had seen on his face earlier. And then all the emotions of the last few days got the better of us. Gale's lips crashed onto mine...and I found myself kissing him back just as fervently. My arms wrapped around his neck, as I clung tightly to him and his arms then snaked around my waist. I went too far.

We continued to kiss until the shouts of people entering the corridor broke us apart. We turned to see medics carrying a stretcher into the medical wing. Haymitch Abernathy followed behind them shouting at them.

As they drew closer, I tried to see who was on the stretcher. Gale reached for my hand and held it tightly as they approached us. I managed to catch a glimpse over one the medics shoulders. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.

"Katniss," Gale breathed, releasing my hand.

And it felt like my whole world was turned upside down...again.

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 **Author's Note: Ooops. I'm evil. Sorry. Haha. You can thank nixdragon for this chapter. I had a snow day today and since she didn't I let her request what got updated. Haha. Thanks to everyone who has read this story so far. It really means the world to me.**

 **Thanks to those who reviewed: Narelle's FOURTRIS,** **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967** **,** **KeepCalmLoveMultipleFandoms** **,** **Emilia Christine** **,** **T. K. Roses** **,** **Slow Dancing in the Snow** **,** **rachelariella** **,** **LovelyFandomLover** **,** **Guest ,** **Hidden Journey** **,**


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